Operation Blank
by nicole-envious
Summary: A team has been assembled to undermine Aria T'Loak and ultimately overthrow her. Kiyomi Ito a young and budding spy is recruited. In deep cover and out of reach of her team, she struggles to complete the task. Chapter 3: Kiyomi is hired as an entertaine
1. Introduction

_How deep can you go before you can't figure out which way is up? It was a question that was asked at their psych screening, it was meant to be rhetorical but Kiyomi still felt she had to answer it. She had brilliantly stated that she would always know which way is up; it's whatever direction the Agency says it is. That was the military doctrine answering for her. That, along with all her other answers went down in as a scribble on her sheet. That day happened six years ago and since then she had become part of the Infiltration and Intelligence Team. Which begs the question, in the 22nd century how do you spy on someone who isn't even your species? Kiyomi could only wager that you needed to be trusted, only then could you manipulate them._

* * *

Kiyomi Ito was born on Mars around the same time the Prothean ruins were discovered. Her generation was the first to grow up in a galaxy where aliens existed and space travel was easy. Technology came easy to her generation and it was shown that they were the smartest generation yet of the century. Babies were being born all the time with "special powers" that enabled them to warp physics with their minds. Kiyomi's generation was one of public service, meaning the Alliance grew by 400% when the first of the generation turned 18. If you had "special powers", which were later dubbed biotics, you were sent to camps and schools on different stations. If you showed an aptitude for understanding technology, you would be contacted by different agencies during high school and college. If you didn't show any potential or aptitude for anything… you could still pull a trigger. Kiyomi was lucky, or unlucky, and was gifted with biotics. They had become apparent before the Alliance truly understood what they were.

As with most biotics, one day after high school an Alliance recruiter came to her family's apartment. He had brochures and statistics about where Kiyomi could go with the Alliance career-wise. What had interested Kiyomi from the start was espionage; she could be just like the sexy women in the vids. She too could stand on a roof somewhere wearing a sexy outfit and blast a hole in someone's head a mile away. Mars was nice, but Kiyomi wanted to see the galaxy at its nastiest. She had completely tuned out what the recruiter was saying and was unaware that he had asked her a question. She had stared at him blankly and he repeated,

"So do you need time to think or have you made your decision?" Kiyomi looked at her parents, who just stared at the floor unsure of what to think. She got up and looked across the red expanse of what was known locally as the Great Desert. She was ready to leave, ready to move beyond this small city, and do big things that changed the galaxy. It wasn't enough to be a biotic kid from Mars; she wanted to be lethal and worldly. She felt it in her bones and in the bowels of her soul, she needed to travel and make more of her life, this was her one ticket there.

"I have made a decision." She took in a deep breath, articulating each word perfectly,

"I want to do this." The recruiter smiled broadly and beaming announced,

"You have made all of us very proud!" He turned to her parents and was telling them where to sign. Her mother was crying softly and her father had the same stoic expression he had been wearing as he signed the paperwork. Realizing that she might never see her parents again made Kiyomi a little depressed. After all she _did love _her parents, Kiyomi cleared her throat,

"I have one question, when do we leave and will I see my parents again?" The recruiter smiled,

"We leave now and you will see your parents once you graduate from BAAT." Kiyomi nodded and left to pack her clothes. Her eyes only moistened once as she looked at a note her mother had written her more than ten years ago. She put the note in her pocket and put her bag over her shoulder.

"Miss Ito are you ready to depart?" The recruiter smiled as he asked her. Kiyomi nodded and hugged her parents and turned to walk out the door into the hallway. That was the last time she saw them again and she didn't even tell them she loved them. As they traveled to the military base Kiyomi looked at the recruiter,

"I must admit I am a little nervous… do you know what station I will go to?" The recruiter laughed,

"I have no idea, you will either be assigned to the Gregarin or Jump Zero, but that's all I know." Kiyomi nodded and hugged herself as she looked out the window.

* * *

His eyes flicked over the data pad as he read her file.

_Name: Kiyomi Ito_

_Gender: Female_

_DOB: 03 26 2158_

_Profession: Freelancer_

_Psychological Findings: 08 22 2176: Anti-Social/ Sociopathic tendencies. Displays a deep aversion to authority and general paranoia. Has expressed multiple advanced disillusions regarding the Alliance and the Council. Claims to have insider knowledge of "inner workings of the government". Biotic L1 implants are causing massive migraines and may be contributing to her skewed view of reality. Is using prescribed narcotics to help with pain and flare-ups. _

He sighed changing the screen to her holo. She was a tiny little thing, standing at just about 5 feet. She had Japanese characters on each vertebrae of her spine, some sort of tattoo under her bottom lip and he could see characters running down from her naval to... he could only guess where. Her hair was jet black and short; it came to her jaw and was shaggy with patches of bright purple and red. Her dark eyes glared at him and her mouth was set in a permanent smirk. She was dangerous and was just what he needed to add to the team.

He woke up and shaved. Today the team was being brought in together so everyone could meet face to face. This was going to be fun… not. He looked in his closet and picked out his nicest suit and shoes. He needed to identify himself as the one with the most money and the one in charge. He picked out his most boring tie, flat black. It was a Versace tie so at least it was expensive, but he still hated it. He walked to his balcony where his chauffeur and car were waiting. Nodding at the chauffeur he slid into the back seat. Looking out the window he watched as the modern buildings disappeared from view and were replaced by buildings that were at least 10 years old. He hated this section of town; it reminded him of all the homeless beggars that choked the slums. He looked up at the sky; it was cloudy but would most likely not rain.

"What a shitty day!" His driver, Putnam looked at him in the rearview mirror,

"What did you say?" He sighed,

"Here I am in a nice suit, tie, and shoes… and the sun doesn't even have to decency to come out and shine on me! Talk about depressing…" Putnam laughed a rich earthy tone,

"I think that the sun shining on you would maybe have them think you are too good for them? Maybe this is showing your darkside, which is after all what is needed I think?" He snorted back,

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I should show up all gangster with my gun hanging out and my 5 o' clock shadow. Then I'll walk over and be like, 'Whada fuck you here for bitches?'" Putnam shrugged smiling,

"Maybe that will work. Who am I to judge?" He gestured at Putnam for him to pull over,

"Here is fine, I'll walk in. I'll catch a cab home." Putnam nodded asking,

"Are you sure sir? I know you hate cab drivers…" He waved his hand to silence Putnam's concerns,

"No, no. I'll be fine. You take the day off and spend it with your family." He got out on the sidewalk and waved at Putnam as he drove away. The street was mostly silent as he walked towards the warehouse that they would be using. He entered the building and took the lift up. As the door opened he saw Kiyomi sitting on the table. She was wearing a mini-skirt and fishnets and her torn top revealed most of her torso. She looked rough, sporting a swollen jaw and black eye. She needed work, but she could pull it off. He put his hands behind his back and greeted her,

"Good Morning Miss Ito. I'm assuming you're ready to begin your assignment?" Kiyomi looked at him,

"Yes I guess I am. What exactly is required of me?" He sighed,

"You my dear are going to be our eyes and ears of this operation. You will be the pretty face and the distraction…" Kiyomi's interest was piqued. Even with her grunge appearance, the glamorous life had always appealed to her,

"Okay… I'm listening. So who is the rest of the team?" Smiling he answered,

"Glad to hear it. The team will be meeting us in about an hour. Until then I will be briefing you on the mission." Kiyomi nodded eager to start. He began,

"I am Mr. Figuero. I am funding this mission wholly. So it is my prerogative to pull you out if I don't like how you are doing your job. You will receive your creds throughout the months that you are working; however, you won't need them until the job is complete. Anything you need to complete your job will be provided. If there is something that isn't already provided, let me know and it is yours. Any questions on that matter?" Kiyomi shook her head, wanting to speed this along as much as possible. Figuero started up again,

"You are part of an operation to infiltrate a government. This government is… Omega. The galaxy's dirtiest money moves through there and I want part of it. You all have fake identities. I know that it's not simple when it comes to getting information past Aria, but I have money and brains. This means that I have well thought out plans and unless you screw up… it will work fine." Kiyomi interrupted before he could continue further,  
"What is the plan exactly?" Figuero spoke,

"I was getting there. When you're given your new identities, I want you to use it for everything. Make sure you use your credit chit and not cash. Make sure you buy things that would fit your new personalities. If it's in your personality to get arrested then so be it. Use your imagination and make all of this seem as real as possible. I believe in you, this will work." Kiyomi interrupted again,

"I'm sorry sir but I just don't understand why I am so important?" Figuero started again,

"Once again, I was about to get there. You my dear are the missing link. Like I said you are the pretty face, eyes, and ears. Without you my team's cover would be blown and there would be no recovery. You have special talents and aptitudes to be exactly what you need to be…" Kiyomi looked expectant.

"You are going to go in as a hard on luck woman. You need money and you need it however you can get it. You will probe the underbelly of Omega and learn as much as you can, from whoever you can. You will be in such deep cover that you won't be able to figure out which way is up. However, you my sweet are a smart, capable individual." Figuero looked at his watch and heard footsteps in the background,

"They should be here shortly. So that is the basic briefing, you will be given more information as the mission progresses. In the meantime I want you to meet a good friend of mine, Mrs. Capella. She will be training you on what you need and how to be your new person." He turned and walked away and Kiyomi called out to him,

"So who exactly are you training me to be?" Figuero called over his shoulder,

"My daughter of sorts!" Kiyomi looked at his back confusedly and turned to Mrs. Capella, who spoke to her in a matronly voice,

"Hello Miss Ito. So, would you like to get a coffee this afternoon after you're done with the introductions? I would love to get to know you better…" Kiyomi smiled warmly, Mrs. Capella reminded her of her mother already,

"Yeah, that would be great. I guess I can ask you all of my questions then." Mrs. Capella nodded,

"When you're done, meet me here, I'm sending you the address to the café." Kiyomi bowed her head slightly as Mrs. Capella exited. Kiyomi leaned against the table thinking about what had happened. As she was mulling it all over, the lift opened again revealing several men. Standing up straighter she watched as they approached her. Some of them were wearing armor, others were in their civvies. Some were dressed nicer than others, their wealth becoming apparent. The first man to reach her spoke up; he was tall and heavily built,

"So you're the new chick. Welcome aboard and I hope you got what it takes. The name's Pancho." He held out his hand and Kiyomi shook it,

"Hello, my name is Kiyomi." She looked around at everyone else; they were obviously sizing her up and wondering what she could do. She also remembered that she had a black eye and swollen jaw. Pancho spoke up,

"So, I'm the so-called leader of this team. I handle all the ground plans and all the bull-shit that Figuero shouldn't have to hear about." Kiyomi smirked; she was already beginning to like Pancho. He continued on introducing everyone. There was Chris the Intelligence Officer; there was Joe and Caesar who were gods among the techie world; there was Mambo who was also an Infiltrator; and then there was her. She had no idea when she signed up for the job what it would actually entail… and so far it was a lot more than she had expected from your basic follow-someone-around-the-galaxy job. After the further briefings on what was expected from her by the team, Kiyomi began walking toward the coordinates in her omni-tool. She needed some caffeine, definitely.


	2. The Long Goodbye

**Authors Note:** So this is a story that I am working on while I am suffering from writer's block on my other one. I hope you enjoy it! As usual please RnR.

* * *

It was amazing to Kiyomi the transformation of herself. Mrs. Capella, who was now just Jen, had done a splendid job training Kiyomi how to be a woman. Kiyomi had been so used to the rig amoral of a biotic life in the Alliance she had forgotten the simplicity of a carefree life. Every morning Jen helped her apply her makeup to perfection, making her hair glamorous, and picking out and buying the proper clothes. She received more training on this aspect of her personality than her actual job, which was infiltrating Aria's empire. She spent about 2 hours a day with Pancho and Chris, going over code after code. Some days they would spend hours just surveying people and following them, perfecting proper techniques. Above all else, pretending to be Figeuro's daughter had proved to be the hardest. He constantly "coached" her on how she should act. Kiyomi begrudgingly had dinner with Figuero every night. Not that she minded his company, but it was hard to keep cool when she was constantly reminded to sit up straight and be delicate.

After they had completed their four months of training Figuero revealed the greater part of his plan. He had invited everyone to dine with him in a very luxurious hotel. Kiyomi booked a room for that night, deciding this was her last chance to stay at a nice hotel. It was supposed to be "the last supper" before they began their journey to Omega. Jen had found a gorgeous, red dress for Kiyomi, with a slit up the leg complete with cascading ruffles. The backless dress revealed all of her tattoos making Kiyomi feel dangerous and sexy. Her hair had changed from the cropped multi colors to long layers of black curls. The tattoo on Kiyomi's chin had been removed along with her piercings. Everyone stood as she entered the secluded room of the restaurant and she smiled when she saw the way that Pancho's eyes slid over her form. He smiled and winked back at her. She wanted to sit down in between Pancho and Chris but she saw her place card at the end of the table. Nodding to everyone she took a seat. Figuero cleared his throat and spoke,

"Shall we eat first and talk later or… talk while we eat?" Judging by the way everyone was eyeing the food he decided talking and eating would be just fine. After everyone had served themselves he began,

"I know all of you have been waiting a very long time to hear part of the plan that I am divulging tonight. Some of you may already know that the operation will be set in motion next week on a Wednesday." Kiyomi had already known, Pancho had told her about a month ago what was going on. But, Figuero, from his infinite wisdom had not divulged what Kiyomi would be doing. So Kiyomi was still anxious to hear what he had to say,

"You will be taking public transport to Omega; each of you must procure your own tickets appropriately. I don't care if you all ride together or on separate transports… In the meantime each of you will be taking the week off. Preferably separately from other squad mates." Figuero looked indirectly at Pancho as he spoke. Finishing his mouthful he continued,

"Are there any questions? I know you all know what to expect, so I won't baby you." They all shook their heads, clearly aware of what was awaiting that Wednesday. They had all been preparing for a long time. After everyone had finished eating they had moved out of the secluded restaurant. Figuero turned to them all,

"Well… This is the last time you will see me, until the job is complete. Good Luck and Good Night!" He shook everyone's hand and exchanged a few words. Kiyomi had laughed and kissed him on the cheek good-night and was now standing on the second floor overlooking the ballroom floor down below. She could see that most of the guys had already headed to the bar. She half wondered where Pancho was, but the thought was soon lost as she saw him speaking to Figuero at the door. Turning her attention back to the dancers, she soon forgot why she had been here in the first place. Kiyomi flinched as she felt a cold, rough hand run up her spine and she whipped around into Pancho.

"Hey! You can't sneak up on me like that! I could hurt you, you know…" She couldn't keep a straight face any longer and burst into laughter. His eyes crinkled as he smiled broadly down at her,

"Yeah, a little 80 pound girl could seriously hurt me. I would have to kick myself in the ass. Buuuut it might be worth it to see you wildly flail your arms at me in this dress. I would get some front row seats to a nice peepshow." He leered at her and she burst into another fit of laughter hitting him lightly on the arm. Taking a step back and leaning on the railing she looked at him,

"So what brings _you_ up _here_ to _me_?" Pancho's leer turned into a boyish grin again and he got a devilish gleam in his eyes,

"Weeelll, I was thinking about how awfully gorgeous you look in that dress-" His voice dropped an octave as he took a step closer to her,

"And I was imagining what you must look like underneath it. I also have a gift for you." His voice was a quiet rumble as he took another step closer and was now centimeters away from her. Looking at him, she could barely contain her smile and walking her fingers up his arm she responded,

"Weeelll, I was thinking about how maybe, you and I should take a trip up to my hotel room...or yours. And have some alone time before we get to…" She trailed of the end of her sentence when she saw the dark look skim across his face. Pancho grabbed her more firmly and hugged her, putting his chin on top of her head. Kiyomi breathed in his scent and leaned harder into him. Even if they didn't do anything, time alone with him would be better than anything else. This was their small piece of heaven before they entered hell. He broke the silence first,

"I want you to know that I won't let anything happen to you. You're too risky for your own good, which is what I love about you… fuck. I don't know what I'm sayin'." Kiyomi spoke with her face still buried in his chest,

"I'll be safe. As safe as I can be. But that's why we've been training, in case something does happen. And you know what? You will be the first to know. So don't worry…" He looked down at her,

"Yeah, I know. C'mon let's get outta here." With that he led her to the elevator and punched the button to her floor. She was in better accommodations anyway.

* * *

She woke up with the sun streaming in through the window. Today they were leaving for Omega. She sat up and brushed off Pancho's arm, he was still fast asleep. Putting on the hotel bathrobe, she walked onto the balcony. The hotel overlooked the city and everything looked particularly marvelous this morning, with the sun's rays hitting the shiny buildings. This was the last sunrise she would see in a long time. She would miss it. If there was any place that did not know beauty untainted like the sunrise or the ocean, it was Omega. That blasted city felt like it was the farthest place away from happiness. She couldn't be with Pancho, she would be alone and taken advantage of. The dossier on who she would be on Omega had told her enough to make her upset. She was supposed to be some sort of dancer or something working at the club. She would at least be there for a couple months, but most likely a couple years. The only motivation was after the contract was complete; her portion would make it so she would never have to work again. That was all she had wanted to begin with; the Alliance had blacklisted her name, meaning she couldn't work for almost any human company and she didn't want to work for the goddamned aliens. This job was her last option.

Rubbing her eyes, she tried to rid the thoughts from her head. She didn't want to think about all that right now. She just wanted to enjoy the last moments of peace. She wanted to say goodbye. She had learned from her first experience away from home that it is important to say goodbye to places. If you don't then you end up missing them ten times worse and it makes it hard to do anything else. She was taking in the sounds and smells of the city when Pancho walked up to her,

"I'm gonna miss this place. Did you know I was born here?" Kiyomi looked at him,

"No I didn't. You never told me before. Where were you born?" He sighed and looked across the city,

"Somewhere where you can't see from here. I was born in the slums. Mercenary work was the only way to make money for my little brother. Then he just dropped out of contact. I think I told you about that… Maybe Figuero will be able to find out where he is. So what about you? It's strange that we have been working so hard, that I never asked about your past. All I know about you is what has happened with us." She touched his hand lightly and spoke,

"You don't need to know my past to know who I am. But since you ask, I will tell you. I was born on Mars… for me it was soooo boring and just all around dull. So when the Alliance knocked on my door I joined straight away. What I didn't know was that they had hired turians to torture us into submission, so that we then could use our biotics as weapons. I went around a long time thinking that I was the one person in this whole galaxy that had been treated so badly by our own government. Turns out I was wrong. There are so many people that just get pushed aside and not given aide. That's why I want to live a secluded life from all of this. Sure I'll miss it, but… I don't know-"Pancho nodded speaking,

"You don't want to live with the constant reminder that you are powerless to stop the corruption. I figure that's why everyone is moving to the Terminus Systems." He paused for a moment,

"Kiyomi, just so you know. You're never alone. I'm with you. Always." Kiyomi nodded, her eyes were flooded with tears, and she could feel the emotions stuck in her throat. She decided it would be better to let it all out. Sobbing she held onto Pancho. He stroked her back and her sides as she shook. She hated that she couldn't control her own tears. She hated that she had gotten close to someone, when she knew that she might not ever see him again. However, she was glad that she had met him. Even if it meant she would feel more pain on his account. Soon the sobs lessened and Kiyomi stopped crying altogether. She stood there leaning on him as he held her, both silently saying good-byes to the other.

* * *

Kiyomi had bought her tickets from the station that morning. It seemed logical that she would be running away from something and would therefore buy her tickets at the last minute. As she stood in the lobby she saw the rest of the team in various spots. She knew that any contact she made with them, she would have to consider as being watched. Any of the people going towards Omega could work for Aria. If she was going to go to Aria and ask for anything she would be checked up on. The speakers came on,

"All passengers may now proceed to the docking bay. All passengers… docking bay." Kiyomi began walking toward the docking bay carrying her one bag of belongings. Each passenger was scanned by an asari and then groups of 20 or so passengers would go through the decontamination chamber. Kiyomi found this all quite interesting as she had never flown on public transport before. She looked at her ticket and found her stasis pod. Placing her baggage above the pod, she locked the crate. She decided she would go ahead and strap in and go into cryofreeze. It would be better if she was slightly hungry when she arrived on Omega. Details counted, especially when everything could be used against you. A crewman came and strapped her in. She heard a woman's voice counting down,

"Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven… Six…" Kiyomi's vision darkened as she entered the deep, dreamless sleep.


	3. Omega

**Author's Note: **This is a much longer chapter! I hope you enjoy and please review!_

* * *

___

If there was anything to know about Omega, it was that it would never change. There would always be a ruler keeping the chaos in check, there would always be blood in the streets, and there would always be hate. Hate, mistrust, and crime were the main elements of Omega. As soon as you step foot on the station you can feel the oppressiveness of it, the weight of sin on your soul. You look around and see the dying and the dead in the streets, the weak being preyed upon, and those who were not in the gutters filling the clubs. They dance and drink the night away, only to return to killing in the morning. Money is easy enough to come by, if you know the right people, no guarantees that it is clean money.

_As you enter Omega the first thing that hits you is the smell. The sweat, excrement, and blood of every species known to the galaxy fills your nose, it is accented with the sweet smell of burning tobacco and the exotic, spicy perfumes used by the entertainers. Then the heat hits you, it's as though you are in hell itself. There is no breeze or cold air, it is stuffy and feels recycled. As you venture further into the bowels of the city you are greeted with shocking sights of vorcha consuming the bodies of the beings that they killed. Drunk and sick turians, batarians, and humans lie on the ground, too weak to even sit up straight. The neon signs and orange glow of the mine cast an eerie light on everything, adding to the feeling of hell. However there are some things that would remind you of Earth's slums as you listen to the beat of Omega. The bass from the clubs beats synchronously creating an artificial heartbeat, as you move away from the bass it is replaced by the humming of engines and the din of several million people coughing, talking, screaming, laughing, crying, and yelling._

* * *

Kiyomi walked up to Afterlife and was let through by the elcor bouncer, only to be stopped by a Batarian,

"Wait, Hold on. Are you a patron?" Kiyomi looked at him, hoping that she looked desperate,

"I'm looking for work. " The batarian drew his eyes ffrom his datapad and looked her up and down, Kiyomi was dressed in a sophisticated suit that left little to the imagination regarding her curves.

"Wellll, you look like you'll be a nice addition to the girls. Can't say we see too many human women around here. Go on through and talk to a turian by the name of Draxel, he is guarding the stairs to Aria's balcony." She could feel his eyes glued to her ass as she walked into Afterlife.

Her ears were bombarded with loud club pulses and yelling patrons. Everyone was thoroughly drunk . A few people glanced her way as she sauntered over to the turian who was guarding the stairs. She had his attention as she walked up to him and he spoke,

"Human, what do you want?" Kiyomi blinked and answered,

"I was told to speak to you if I wanted a job here." He looked around and replied,

"What kind of work are you looking for lady?"

"Anything that pays well." The turian laughed,

"Your in the wrong place lady, if you want money go to Illium. If you want to disappear come here." Kiyomi laughed softly,

"I want to disappear from a wealthy man. What do you recommend I do?" Draxel looked her up and down, much in the same way the batarian at the door did. He gestured up the stairs,

"Go and speak with Aria. She will know what to do with you. Hell you may even get a decent job working for her." She travelled up the stairs hoping that she looked exactly how she should. Desperate, alone, and shady. As she reached the entrance for the balcony another batarian stopped her, scanning for weapons and hidden objects. Signalling she was clean Aria spoke as Kiyomi stepped closer,

"That's close enough. What do you want?" Kiyomi responded solemnly,

"I need to disappear." Aria looked at her curiously,

"Disappear? From your current employer? I wonder… Lets see your dressed to show that you are from wealth. You obviously want attention from all the males within the mile. You sound rehearsed…" Aria whistled and another batarian and Draxel rushed up the stairs aiming their rifles on Kiyomi. Aria stood and walked over to Kiyomi drawing a finger along her jaw,

"Who sent you? Hmmm… and don't say your alone. I know your not." Aria circled back around to face Kiyomi, who realized she might as well tell most of the truth, just change the names,

"Fine. I am working for a man on Earth. My cover was to come in here and work as an entertainer. He wanted your wealth and power." Aria laughed flat and sinister,

"This bitch is telling the truth! So tell me love, who is this man? I'd like to meet him." Kiyomi swallowed,

"He gave me a fake name, he called himself Mr. Manloe and I never saw his face. He could be anyone." Aria walked back to her seat and sat down. She motioned to the batarian next to Kiyomi, who then grabbed her and walked her forward. Kiyomi was forced onto her knees and she felt her hands be bound behind her. Aria began speaking again,

"Why kill you, when there are so many possibilities for skills such as yours? You wanted to be an entertainer, you got it. You want to play your little mind games on people while they watch you dance, good for you. Any information you find, you report to me. I have some mercenaries that I need to keep tabs on, fortunately for me human women are considered exotic. I will deal with you in a week. I want you to leave right now, before I decide that your more trouble than your worth." Aria turned her attention back to her other guests. The batarian who had been behind her the whole time picked her up onto her feet and marched her to another part of the club. It was in the back and was secluded from most of the patrons. He undid her binds and spoke,

"Your lucky if you ask me, Aria usually kills the humans that come here looking for money and power. Go talk with Sha'alla back there, she will get you set up." The batarian squeezed her ass as he left back to his post. Kiyomi walked forward numbly, slowly taking in all that had happened. Had she fucked up? What would happen now? No sooner could she think of any answers had she crossed the threshold and entered Sha'alla's room. Kiyomi had not been expecting a quarian to greet her and bring her into the back chambers of this section of the club. The quarian spoke,

"I am Sha'alla. You are my responsibility and if you screw this up. I won't hesitate to throw you on the street. I'd like to see how long you last there." She laughed coldly and continued,

"Are you new to being an exotic dancer?" Kiyomi nodded, a sob had closed off her throat as she realized how unprepared she really was. The sob in her throat only made her feel more stupid. Sha'alla continued,

"Wonderful. Strip." Kiyomi did as she was told and began taking off her clothes.

"Quickly now. I haven't got all day. Turn around." Kiyomi felt more than naked as the quarian poked and prodded her, her alien hands running over her tattoos.

"Stand still!" Kiyomi yelled in pain as something metal jabbed into the side of her leg. She looked down and saw that she had just had a tattoo burned into her skin. Aria's symbol was now on her leg. The quarian was laughing again,

"It's the same technique the Krogan's use. That mark lets everyone know that you are not to be fucked with. Its your protection on this rock. As long as you abide by the rules, you will have that mark on you. Now put this outfit on." Kiyomi followed the Quarian's commands and put on the red leather outfit and stilettos. The Quarian led her by the elbow into another room. Sitting Kiyomi down in front of a mirror Sha'alla spoke,

"Fix the hair. It needs to be down and sexy. Its good that its long, shows the difference between your species and everyone else. Put on the makeup too. I don't know how or have the time to do it." Kiyomi looked at herself. Her long hair now hung loosely to the sides of her face. She scrunched it and added volume with her fingers. She then began to put on the makeup. It wasn't good quality and wasn't what Kiyomi was used to, but she tried. After a couple of minutes she had managed to put the eyeliner and mascara on. Sha'alla was speaking again,

"You can't dance yet, but you can solicit. Your fee is… 100 creds an hour, 500 a night. By the end of the week I need… 50 percent. Now go! Oh and this is your room." Sha'alla gestured with her three fingered hand to a tiny room with just a bed in it. She then sprayed Kiyomi heavily with the spicy perfume.

Kiyomi knew she was very lucky indeed to have not been beheaded or gunned down. She was stunned at how quickly Aria came to conclusions; then again she was close to four hundred years old. Kiyomi knew that it would be a while before she was contacted by Pancho and the rest of the team, but she wondered what stories would now circulate through the streets. Surely, Aria would do something to throw off Figuero, or… what name had she thrown out? Mr. Manloe… A ridiculous sounding name, which was obviously not a real person. But the million dollar question was, had the team already planned on this happening. Had they been given intel and instructions that she had not? Was everything that she had learned only been a game to make Aria and herself included, think she was working for someone completely different? Questions like that made her brain hurt. The answers shouldn't matter, not as long as she was getting that fat paycheck in the end. As far as she knew she had gotten where she was supposed to be and was now in cover gathering intel on the galaxy's dirtiest businesses. It was a dangerous game and Kiyomi had no idea how much more dangerous it would get.

She walked through the crowds of aliens and found a corner for her to stand in. She had no idea how this worked. Was she supposed to stand somewhere and get picked up? Or was she supposed to mingle at the bar and on the dancefloor? She decided that she would stand somewhere tonight, unsure of what she would say or do, the gravity of her new role sinking into her gut. She felt scared out of her wits. Sure she had had sex before, plenty of times… but to a complete stranger? To an alien? Someone she would never see again? She shivered feeling as exposed as if she was standing there naked. She realized now that one did not simply become an exotic entertainer on Omega. One was subjecting their body to the torture of being ravaged, for a little something in return.

She saw four blue suns mercs walk in, two were batarian and two were human. The batarians and one human sat down and the other man wandered around. His eyes fell on her and they narrowed, as if he had just found the last cookie. She tried her best to look sultry as he walked towards her. As he came closer she realized how old he was. Possibly 50? He came up next to her and ran his fingers down her arm,

"Baby… what are you? Japanese? How much you sucky sucky for?" His snorting laughter filled Kiyomi's ears. Kiyomi started shakily, her voice growing steady with confidence,

"Well… it depends. A Japanese girl is a sought after prize around here right?" Still laughing he responded,

"Yeah sure… A little human piece like you is sought after. How much?" Kiyomi looked at the rest of the group knocking back shots,

"If its just you… 600 for the night. 150 an hour. If its you and your friends, lets say… 1500 up front. Batarians tend to be a bit rougher." She added coyly. He grabbed her arm and spun her around so he could see all of her,

"Yeah, yeah. Okay here's 1500. If you play along and be nice you might get a little extra. Come 'ere and sit down." He led her to the table where ten lustful eyes gazed upon her body. The man who hired her spoke,

"So boys this is…" He looked at her and Kiyomi spoke in what she hoped was a flirtatious manner, managing to add a giggle at the end of her name,

"Kiko! And who do I have the pleasure of being with on this fine evening?" The man who hired her spoke again,

"I'm Jared. This man over here… Josh." Josh nodded, obviously more interested in his drink. The bigger of the batarians motioned to her, his skin brown with red tattoos. He pulled her towards him and she sat on his lap as his hands ran over her body. She parted her lips and spoke softly to him, as she caressed his neck,

"Whose name should I scream to the heavens tonight?" His response was deep and rumbling and his breath smelled heavily of alcohol,

"Fa'lek." Jared spoke back up, clearly irritated at Fa'lek's sudden possession of herself,

"Hey, hey, hey. If you want her to yourself man, pay for her yourself. Since I paid I at least get a fair share in this arrangement!" Fa'lek glared at Jared and made a move to stand. Kiyomi sensing that it was getting ugly quick pressed her hands on his chest, causing him to stay seated,

"We can all share can't we?" She smiled nervously at Jared and continued speaking,

"Is there somewhere private that we could go and get 'acquainted'? I'm afraid my room is much too small for all of you…" The nameless batarian spoke gruffly,

"My place. I'm tired of drinking this shit they call liquor anyway." He downed his last shot and stood up. Josh followed suit and began walking towards the street. Kiyomi stood with Fa'lek and walked in between him and Jared. Kiyomi noticed some intrigued glances from other patrons as she left with the Blue Suns group. They entered the street and the bass slowly died away replaced by the clacking of Kiyomi's stilettos. She noticed that the four mercenaries had their hands on their guns as they passed through a crowd of vorcha. No doubt they were Blood Pack. She moved closer to Fa'lek who was obviously more possessive than Jared and would be the most likely to protect her. However, if something went down she was fucked unless she could take one of the vorchas' weapons. There was a couple threatening gestures from the vorcha but they mostly kept to themselves.

The vorcha always scared Kiyomi with their behavior and appearance. They were literally monsters, had no concept of mercy or morals, and would kill you and eat your body without a second thought. She hadn't realized it until they had left the area but she had been gripping Fa'lek's arm. She started mentally berating herself for acting like a scared shitless little kid. Jared grabbed her side pulling her close to him,

"Don't worry… I got you covered, all over! No vorcha would touch you!" He whispered fiercely in her ear,

"Now… once we get in. I take you first… batarians don't deserve first dibs on a human bitch." Kiyomi blinked unsure of how the scene would play out. Grizzly images of a gang-bang floated to her mind. She now wished that she had gotten drunk before this, it might have made it easier to deal with. Jared stopped walking and Kiyomi heard a familiar _'click'_, Josh and the other batarian now had their guns drawn at her. She moved away from Jared and saw that they were drawing aim on Jared. Fa'lek had a pistol to Jared's head.

"This is the last time you try and fucking cross me Jared. I've had too many of your racist comments. This ends now!" Jared was laughing nervously,

"Hey guys! Josh! You can't be serious! I- I'll stop… I swear! He doe-" BANG! Kiyomi ducked and muffled a scream. Nothing prepared her for someone being executed feet from her. Fa'lek barked a command at her,

"Grab his guns and money. How much did he owe you?" Kiyomi's voice quaked as she answered,

"He owed me 1500." She counted the creds from Jared's dead body and saw that he had only had two hundred. Stowing the cash in her bra, she carried the guns as the other batarian unlocked his apartment, and they all went inside. The door locked behind her and she was ordered to put the guns down on the table. She laid them down and turned around, only to be face to face with Fa'lek,

"Strip." Kiyomi didn't hesitate and quickly removed all the clothing on her body. The cool air of the apartment hit her skin making her feel numb as he dragged her to the bed. He flattened her underneath his weight and began biting her shoulder. His many teeth seared into her flesh and she cried in pain. She was flipped on her stomach and her head was yanked back as he grabbed a fistful of her hair. She started crying, she could take any combat situation the Alliance had to offer, but not even one day on Omega and she was already bawling her eyes out. He cuffed her in the ear with his armored hand and Kiyomi blacked out.


End file.
